#!/bin/bash # arr-choice.sh # Passing arguments to a function to select #+ one particular variable out of a group. arr0=( 10 11 12 13 14 15 ) arr1=( 20 21 22 23 24 25 ) arr2=( 30 31 32 33 34 35 ) # 0 1 2 3 4 5 Element number (zero-indexed) choose_array () { eval array_member=\${arr${array_number}[element_number]} # ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ # Using eval to construct the name of a variable, #+ in this particular case, an array name. echo "Element $element_number of array $array_number is $array_member" } # Function can be rewritten to take parameters. array_number=0 # First array. element_number=3 choose_array # 13 array_number=2 # Third array. element_number=4 choose_array # 34 array_number=3 # Null array (arr3 not allocated). element_number=4 choose_array # (null) # Thank you, Antonio Macchi, for pointing this out.